How to Market Your Book on Facebook

How to Market Your Book on Facebook

Immediately after you’ve published your book, it’s time to get into marketing. Here’s what you need to
understand in order to jumpstart your book marketing campaign on Facebook.

1. You need both a personal page AND an author page.

Personal pages and professional author (or fan) pages function very differently. An author’s page offers
a one-way relationship between you and your readers. A person only needs to click “like” to
immediately become a “fan” of your author page. With a personal page, a potential fan has to send you a
friend request, which is an intimidating barrier for people who don’t actually know you. Even more
importantly, personal pages have a friend limit, and only author/fan pages give you data on how your
readers are interacting with your posts.

2. Any given Facebook post will reach only a small percentage of your followers.

Followers are people who clicked “like” on your author page, but they will not automatically see your
updates, and many of your followers/readers will see only a small percentage of your posts at any given
moment. For that reason, it’s okay to repeat the same post from time to time.

3. Likes, comments, and shares mean almost everything on Facebook.

Facebook chooses what to show and in what order based upon what pages a person has interacted with
in the past. “Interacted” means the person clicked, liked, shared, or commented on a post. A post that
generates a lot of interactions means you have written something that encourages your
readers/followers to comment on, like, or share your post. Every time they do this, it means that your
message gets more traction and more visibility, so attempt to compose postings that produce high levels
of interaction.

4. Small tactics can make a big difference in driving “click engagement.”

Here are some tips for encouraging clicks:

• Experiment with post timing. The average post is only shown in feeds for about three hours. If
most of your fans are on Facebook in the evening but you always post in the morning, they’ll
never see you.

• Be concise. Studies have shown that posts between 100 and 250 characters (less than three
lines of text) receive about 60% more likes, comments, and shares than posts greater than 250
characters.

• Use different types of posts. Some fans click mostly on links, others interact with questions or
surveys, and still others click only on photos.

• In other words: post pictures; ask questions; create surveys, slideshows, and links to other
videos. Everyone reacts to something different, so maximize your number of followers/readers
by giving everyone something they want.

• Just attempting to sell your book with “Buy my book” postings will not result in much
interaction with your fans/readers. Try to provide something of value to them, and they, in turn,
may be more compelled to buy your book.

5. Your cover photo is premium real estate to market your book.

You have 851 x 315 pixels worth of space to market your book. Use this space to show off an image of
your book. Remember, you may need to edit or modify your cover image in photo/imaging software to
make it properly fit within the available space Facebook provides. You can also promote a tour or
giveaway here.

6. Connect Facebook with promotional apps.

Use Facebook to successfully host a book giveaway with apps like Woobox, Rafflecopter,
or Shortstack on your Facebook page. Be sure to advertise it on your cover photo space. Or use a video
app to create a book video to post on your Facebook page (or purchase a book video trailer from
Outskirts Press). Show your readers the author behind the writing. People connect with those they can
relate to, and adding a video of your book will increase interest. Plus, Facebook’s autoplay video feature
will entice users to pay attention.

7. Link Facebook with a way to purchase your book.

Be sure to link to your online shop (whether that’s Outskirts Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your
own website). Dedicate a button on the dash below your cover photo for “Shop.” This will be more
successful if you regularly post positive book reviews on Facebook. Reviews are among the best ways to
get more eyes on your book. Not only can you get in front of the reviewer, but the reviewer may also
recommend your book to others. Don’t expect people to automatically review your book. Actively ask
for reviews on your Facebook page.

8. Use the “Promote” feature.

Under each of your Facebook posts, there is a button that says “Promote.” For a relatively small amount
of money, you can get more of your fans to see specific posts. The cost depends on your particular fan
base, but typically runs around $5 per thousand people you want to reach. You can also promote your
post so friends of your fans will see it. Paid promotion is a great tool for getting important posts in front
of as many people as possible. It’s also a great way to get back into the feeds of people you’ve lost due to
lack of engagement in the past; if a person engages with a paid post, they’ll be more likely to see your
future unpaid posts. Paid posts give you a chance to win fans back!

9. Interact with and follow YOUR favorite authors on Facebook.

As they say, imitation is the greatest form of flattery, so you can always get great new marketing ideas
by following your favorite writers on Facebook and see what THEY are doing to engage their fans and
readers. Borrow liberally from their successful tactics to improve upon your own marketing endeavors.

10. Be consistent and generous.

The key to engagement is consistent posts that your fans consider valuable. Try to post daily. From time
to time, post an image of your book and an offer they can’t refuse, such as a free chapter of your new
book. The most important thing is to grab people and bring them onto your page. Make sure you use the
word “free” in your posts. You want to offer them something to reward for them visiting your page.